President Trump was observed early in his presidency to have adopted a strong[1] and unpredictable[2] foreign policy and was described as having made a "consequential impact" on foreign policy early on.[3] This was as opposed to Barack Obama's foreign policy.[4] As the North Korean vice-foreign minister stated, Trump's foreign policy was "more vicious and more aggressive" than that of Obama.[5] President Trump also shook the global establishment through his foreign policy.[6] President Trump implemented his America First philosophy into his foreign policy,[7][8] and he emphasized the issue of sovereignty.[9][10]

By May 2017, Trump had "hit most, if not all, of the notes he wanted to on a broad range of issues" and was more ambitious than Obama had been at the same point in his presidency.[11] Even the liberal CNN admitted that President Trump's foreign policy made several achievements in 2017.[12]

Legislation signed, 2017

August 2, 2017—President Trump signed a bill into law that, despite its flaws, enacted additional sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea.[13]

Executive actions, 2017

United Nations and U.S. sovereignty

The Trump Administration adopted a more critical stance toward the United Nations than the Obama Administration.[14] Here are some of the actions the Trump Administration took related to the UN:

March 2017—After the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia authored a destructive and anti-Semitic[15] report against Israel, the report and agency were strongly criticized by the United States and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and the executive director of the commission resigned in response.[16]

April 4, 2017—The Trump Administration halted U.S. funding of the United Nations Population Fund, which has links to inhumane abortion programs such as China's one-child policy. Instead, the $32.5 million was shifted to the U.S. Agency for International Development.[17]

June 1, 2017—To the dismay of world leaders,[18] the media,[19] and other liberals,[20] and in a major blow to Obama's legacy,[21] President Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and immediately stop its implementation,[22][23][24] including by ending payments to the U.N. Green Climate Fund.[25] In his announcement speech, Trump made clear that "I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris," and that "our withdrawal from the agreement represents a reassertion of America’s sovereignty."[23][26][27] (even with U.S. withdrawal, it was still well on its way to deeply reducing admissions[28]) The Trump Administration formally notified the UN of its intention to withdraw from the agreement on August 4, 2017.[29]

June 2017—Under pressure from the Trump Administration, the UN cut its peacekeeping budget by $570 million, with the U.S. share of the budget reduced by 7.5%.[30]

September 19, 2017—President Trump gave a speech[31] at the United Nations General Assembly in which he strongly advocated for conservative policies and ideals. He strongly advocated for his philosophy of America First[8][32] and for national sovereignty in general,[9][32][33][34] stating that "as President of the United States I will always put America first," and that "the nation-state remains the best vehicle for elevating the human condition," among other strong statements.[8] He advocated for keeping refugees in their home countries.[35] He attacked the ideology of socialism.[36] He strongly criticized the Iran nuclear deal, calling it an "embarrassment."[37] To the shock of the mainstream media,[38] he notably criticized North Korea and its leader, calling him "Rocket Man" and threatening to "totally destroy" the Asian country.[39] He criticized the UN for letting governments that commit human rights abuses sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council.[40] Trump stated that he would "stop radical Islamic terrorism," not backing down from using the politically incorrect term.[41] The speech marked a shift toward a realist and pro-national sovereignty foreign policy.[34] The next day, Vice President Mike Pence also spoke at the UN, criticizing the institution for its numerous problems[42] and calling out "radical Islamic terrorism."[43] The same day that Pence spoke, First Lady Melania Trump spoke out for protecting children,[44] stating that it is ultimately the parents' responsibility to do so and to raise their children to be moral and love their country,[45] and she quoted from the Bible.[46]

October 12, 2017—The Trump Administration announced the U.S. would withdraw from UNESCO because of its anti-Israel bias.[47] The withdrawal went into effect on December 31, 2018, U.S. time.[48]

December 2, 2017—The Trump Administration pulled out of the Global Compact on Migration, a United Nations agreement on migration, due to it infringing on U.S. sovereignty and its immigration policies.[49] U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley stated that "our decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone," and that "the global approach in the New York Declaration is simply not compatible with U.S. sovereignty."[49]

December 24, 2017—UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced that the United States would cut its contribution to the UN's 2018–19 budget by $285 million.[50]

Iran

The Trump Administration took a tougher stance against Iran.[51] Here are some of the actions taken against the country:

July 18, 2017—Despite recertifying the Iran nuclear deal the day earlier,[55] the Trump Administration imposed sanctions on 18 Iranian individuals and entities for supporting the nation's non-nuclear weapon programs and support for terrorists.[56]

September 14, 2017—While extending Iran sanctions relief in accordance with the Iran Deal, the Trump Administration imposed new sanctions on eleven Iranian people and companies suspected of supporting the country's ballistic missile program or being involved in cyber-attacks.[57]

October 13, 2017—President Trump, in a strongly-worded speech,[58] announced that he would decertify Iran's compliance with the Iran nuclear deal (known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) and would give Congress time, under the threat of leaving the agreement entirely,[59] to revise the agreement to make it tougher against Iran.[60] The Trump Administration announced a new and tougher comprehensive strategy against Iran,[60] and the Treasury Department enacted terrorism-related sanctions on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[60][61]

December 29–31, 2017—In stark contrast to Obama before him,[62] as well as the UN and European leaders concurrently,[63] President Trump and his administration did not hesitate to show his full support for Iranian citizens protesting the Iranian governmental regime.[64] The protests – as well as President Trump's support – extended into 2018.

North Korea

The Trump Administration took several actions against North Korea. The administration took a tougher stance on North Korea than its predecessors, which was bringing positive results by October 2017.[65] Here are some of the Trump Administration's actions against North Korea:

Early in Trump's presidency, he and his administration took a much tougher tone against North Korea than his predecessors.[66] In one instance,[67] President Trump stated that North Korea "will be met with fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which the world has never seen before" if they did not stop threatening the U.S,[68] and Trump stated the next day that his comment may not have been tough enough.[69] The Trump Administration chose to include a military option among a list of potential strategies in United States policy towards North Korea.[70] North Korea had threatened to attack the U.S. territory of Guam, but after Trump's remarks it backed off from the threat.[71]

While the deployment was first announced during the Obama Administration, the Trump Administration confirmed it would continue the plans to – and subsequently did – deploy the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea despite China's strong objections.[72] THAAD was first used on May 14, 2017,[73] and it was successfully tested on July 11, 2017,[74] and July 30, 2017.[75] THAAD was fully deployed on September 7, 2017.[76]

August 5, 2017—The United States successfully and unanimously passed a resolution in the UN Security Council that established tough sanctions against North Korea that would cut the country's export revenue by a third.[77]

August 22, 2017—The Trump Administration implemented sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and entities for doing business with North Korea.[78]

September 11, 2017—The United States successfully and unanimously passed another UN Security Council resolution that established new sanctions against North Korea.[79]

September 21, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order giving the Treasury Department additional authority to sanction entities doing business and "significant trade" with North Korea, including foreign banks.[80]

November 20, 2017—The Trump Administration officially designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror.[81] The next day, the Treasury Department enacted additional sanctions on entities doing business with North Korea, including 13 Chinese and North Korean organizations.[82] These actions increased pressure on North Korea to end its nuclear and missile programs.[83]

Russia

Despite claims by Democrats and other left-wingers that Trump's presidential campaign "colluded" with Russia, the Trump Administration took several tough actions against Russia, including some that even the Obama Administration avoided.[84] Here are some of the actions taken against the country:

April 21, 2017—The Trump Administration refused to issue waivers to any companies which wanted to do business with Russia, which was under economic sanctions, including ExxonMobil, which had applied for a waiver.[86] The day earlier, the Trump Administration announced, in strong language, it was implementing the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which blacklisted certain Russian citizens.[87]

June 20, 2017—The same day President Trump met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 38 Russian individuals and entities involved in the conflict with Ukraine.[88]

December 21, 2017—The Trump administration approved the export of lethal small arms to Ukraine, including a multimillion-dollar sniper rifle deal – something the Obama Administration refused to do – ramping up its support for the country in the simmering conflict with Russia-backed separatists.[89]

Cuba

President Trump enacting a tougher policy against Cuba, June 16, 2017

The Trump Administration took actions against Cuba, reversing several – though not all – Obama-era policies by November 2017:[90]

June 16, 2017—During a speech attended by opponents of Cuba's Communist regime,[91] President Trump partially reversed Obama's pro-Cuba policies by restricting U.S. travel to Cuba and prohibit financial transactions that benefit the Cuban military.[92] The Trump Administration implemented the restrictions on November 9, 2017.[93] In addition, Trump visibly took a much stronger position on Cuba to repatriate American criminal fugitives than Obama had done.[94]

November 1, 2017—The Trump Administration chose to defend the U.S. embargo on Cuba at the United Nations and vote against resolutions condemning the embargo, reversing an Obama Administration policy.[95]

Other

The Trump Administration successfully secured the release of several American prisoners held in foreign countries that the Obama Administration did not or could not release.[96] It played a large role in successfully helping prevent CIA officer Sabrina de Sousa from being extradited to Italy, with the decision coming on March 1, 2017.[97] On April 21, 2017, Egypt released an Egyptian-American who had been detained for three years.[98] Additionally, according to the father of Otto Warmbier, who was held hostage in North Korea and then released in June 2017, the Obama Administration did not do enough to secure his release while the Trump Administration did secure his release.[99] In November 2017, China released three UCLA basketball players from custody for alleged shoplifting after President Trump asked the president of China to release them.[100]

The Trump Administration enacted numerous sanctions against Venezuela's socialist government in 2017, including on May 18,[101] July 31,[102] August 9,[103] and August 25.[104]

On March 18, 2017, the Trump Administration successfully forced the G-20 to remove its opposition to protectionism and temper its support for free trade,[105][106] and any mention of climate change[107][108] from its joint statement. Later, in April 2017, the Trump Administration refused to sign the G7 joint statement because the other nations could not agree to include support for nuclear and fossil fuels without support for the Paris climate agreement. The G7, thus, went without a joint statement.[109][110]

President Trump being briefed on April 6, 2017 concerning a military strike on Syria.

April 6, 2017—After the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its people, President Trump ordered a one-time airstrike against a Syrian air base, firing 60 cruise missiles at it.[111] The U.S. destroyed about 20 Syrian jet planes and caused extremely heavy damage on the base.[112] Defense Secretary James Mattis stated the attacks destroyed 20% of Syria's operational aircraft.[113] As even the New York Times reported, Trump's action was a show of U.S. strength, and it was in stark contrast to Obama, as Trump used surprise and speed in the attacks.[114] World leaders supported the strong action.[115] This was the first direct military action the U.S. took against the Assad regime.[116] On April 23, 2017, in response to the chemical attacks, the Trump Administration put sanctions on 271 employees of Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Center, which supported the nation's chemical weapons program.[117] On June 18, 2017, the United States shot down a Syrian aircraft for the first time,[118] and in response to Russia's warnings, stated that it would do whatever in its national and military interests.[119]

May 2017—President Trump embarked on an ambitious foreign trip, where he, among other accomplishments, visited the heartlands of the three Abrahamic religions, challenging the Muslim world to get serious about defeating Islamic terrorism, challenging the European leaders to contribute more to NATO.[11][120][121][122] While in the Middle East, Trump strengthened the United States's traditional alliances with Israel.[123] His trip was described as one that "flipped traditional U.S. foreign policy upside down."[124] Here are some highlights and additional achievements of the trip:

May 22–23, 2017—The second country President Trump visited was Israel, and his trip marked the first time a U.S. president visited the country on their first foreign trip.[125] He visited the country on the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War and Israel's capture of Jerusalem.[126] His flight from Saudi Arabia to Israel was one of the rare flights taken between the two countries and the first of a U.S. president to fly from the former to the latter.[127] A major suicide bombing occurred in the United Kingdom during the visit, and Trump denied recognition to the attacker[128] and other Islamic terrorists by calling them "losers."[129] Although not moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem as hoped,[130] President Trump became the first sitting U.S. President to visit the Western Wall,[131] and the Administration stated that the Trump was in "Jerusalem, Israel."[132] President Trump did not mention anything about a Palestinian state, a two-state solution, or about Israeli settlements.[133] It was also reported that the U.S. increased defense funding for Israel by $75 million.[134]

May 25, 2017—At the 2017 NATO summit, President Trump strongly stated his position that the other NATO member states should meet their expected contributions to the organization.[135]

May 26–27, 2017—At the 2017 G7 conference, President Trump focused on terrorism rather than climate change, as the other European leaders wished.[136] Much to the consternation of the G7 world leaders,[137] who lobbied for President Trump to accept the Paris climate agreement, Trump stood firm and refused to pledge commitment to the accords[138] so he could still deliberate over whether to stay in it.[139] (Trump ultimately announced, on June 1, 2017, that the U.S. would leave the agreement and cease implementing it[24]). President Trump was also reported as having refused to sign a declaration that stated the benefits as well as "pitfalls" of immigration.[140][141]

May 27, 2017—President Trump concluded his trip by speaking to U.S. soldiers,[142] as opposed to holding a press conference.[143]

President Trump giving his speech in Poland, July 2017.

President Trump holding a bilateral meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, July 2017.

President Trump meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, July 2017.

July 5–8, 2017—President Trump made his second foreign trip, this time to Poland and Germany. President Trump promoted his "America First" policies during his trip.[144][145] He and is actions during the trip were also the target of liberal mainstream media bias.[146][147] Here are some highlights and achievements of the trip:

July 6, 2017—Ahead of the G-20 conference, President Trump traveled to Poland, the first European nation to receive an official visit from the president.[148] Trump's decision to visit Poland immediately before the G-20 summit was seen as a sign of support for its conservative and Euroskeptic government.[149][150][151] Trump met with Polish President Andrzej Duda and stated that "we’ve never been closer to Poland than we are right now."[152] He attended the Three Seas Initiative, an alliance of 12 nations in Central and Eastern Europe, and promoted the U.S. as an energy exporter.[153]

On July 6, 2017, President Trump gave a major policy address[154][155][156] in front of 15,000 supporters[149][157] in front of the famous Warsaw Uprising Monument.[158] He promoted conservative, Christian, America First, and nationalistic values in his speech.[155][156][159][160][161] Trump took a strong stance against terrorism in his speech, stating that "our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind."[162] He strongly stood up for Western values[160][163] and asked "Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the courage to preserve our civilisation in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?"[164] Reaffirming American NATO duties and military support for Poland, he spoke highly of Poland for meeting its NATO spending pledge.[162][165][166] While taking a reasonable stance regarding Russia,[167] Trump criticized "destabilizing" Russian activities such as supporting hostile regimes.[150][165][168] Trump took a strong stance against government bureaucracy and regulations, warning against "the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people" and stating that "the West became great not because of paperwork and regulations but because people were allowed to chase their dreams and pursue their destinies....we put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives."[150][165][169] Trump defended Christian and Roman Catholic faith, stating that "the people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out ‘We want God’."[170][171] According to numerous conservative commentators, President Trump's speech marked a "clean break" with Obama's foreign policy philosophy, replacing them with his America First doctrine,[172] and he placed "matters of identity, culture, faith and sovereignty over democracy", unlike liberal globalists.[173] He received generally good reviews for the speech,[174] even from some critics.[156] It was reported that the Polish government's dropped its concerns over President Trump's perceived friendly relations with Russia after the speech.[175]

July 7–8, 2017—Going into the G-20 summit, President Trump displayed strong support for his America First philosophy and criticized the Paris climate agreement.[176] At the summit,[177] President Trump met numerous world leaders,[178] most notably Russian President Vladimir Putin.[179] After Trump's meeting with Putin, both countries announced a ceasefire in Syria's war.[180] In the final G-20 common statement, the Trump Administration, which was ideologically opposed by the other G-20 nations, successfully received concessions from them in regards to climate policy, with the statement acknowledging the U.S.'s intention to withdraw from the Paris agreement and including language on the nation's intention to promote clean fossil fuels internationally,[145][181] and trade.[145][182] (The Trump Administration stated it achieved many of its goals in the statement[183]). Despite mainstream media bias that the U.S. "abandoned" or "left" its position of leadership,[147] the U.S. actually strengthened its position of leadership by pushing his conservative, America First agenda rather than following the consensus of the other G-20 countries.[184] Although symbolic, President Trump wore an American flag pin, being the only world leader not to wear the G20 pin which had globalist symbolism.[185]

July 11, 2017—In an attempt to solve a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and several other Persian Gulf nations, the U.S. and Qatar signed an agreement for Qatar to increase its counterterrorism measures and to end funding for terrorist groups.[186]

Despite trying to work with China over North Korea,[187] the Trump Administration took numerous steps to counter and confront the nation.[188] The Trump Administration's national security strategy also took a tough stance on China,[189] and the administration, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, approved a $1.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan in mid-2017.[190]

It was reported in July 2017 that the Trump Administration had ended a CIA program to arm "moderate" Syrian rebels, an ineffective program that had been criticized by conservatives.[191] As it ended this program, President Trump also approved a plan to arm the Kurdish YPG in order to defeat ISIS, a program that saw real results based on the Syrian Democratic Forces victories against the Islamic terrorist group later that year.[192]

August 21, 2017—While many nationalist conservatives noted the how President Trump's plan for conducting the War in Afghanistan went against his America First campaign positions and being similar to Obama's plan,[193] President Trump, unlike Obama, chose to pursue a realist foreign policy, rejecting timetables for the war and choosing to focus on killing terrorists while rejecting "nation building."[194]

November 6, 2017—In Japan, President Trump voiced support for tough, America First trade policies and criticized the previous administration's policy.[196] When meeting Japan's emperor, President Trump did not bow as Obama did in 2009.[197]

November 9, 2017—President Trump stated that he did not blame China for understandably taking advantage of the U.S. in helping create America's massive trade deficit with China, as U.S. leaders should not have allowed themselves to have been taken advantage of in the first place.[198]

November 10, 2017—In Vietnam, President Trump spoke at the APEC summit being held there. He voiced strong support for tough, America First trade policies as well as for national sovereignty in general, and he criticized unfair trade practices, previous U.S. trade policy, and the World Trade Organization.[199]

December 6, 2017—In a historic move that went against the international global establishment,[200] President Trump reversed decades of United States policy by officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordering the U.S. State Department to begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.[201] While previous presidents refused to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite saying they would during election campaigns, President Trump actually kept his promise.[202] On December 18, 2017, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning the decision, the first time the U.S. made such a veto in six years.[203] The United States officially moved its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018.[204]

Other achievements, 2017

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet at Mar-a-Lago, April 7, 2017

While the following achievements were not official United States government policy actions by the Trump Administration, they were closely related to the Trump Administration and its policies:

President Trump strongly urged the other NATO members to increase their defense spending in order to meet their spending pledges. In late-June 2017, it was reported that Europe's NATO countries would increase their defense spending at the fastest pace in three years.[205]

It was reported in early July 2017 that President Trump had held about 50% more face-to-face meetings with foreign leaders than President Obama did during the same part of his presidency, "not including summits, the UN, or the Palestinian Authority," indicating that despite critics' claims of a more "isolationist" foreign policy, Trump started out his presidency with an active foreign policy in addition to his America First philosophy.[206] In his first six months in office, President Trump had three foreign trips and held 47 bilateral meetings with foreign leaders along with 102 phone calls with foreign heads of state.[207] At the same time, President Trump became the first president since Calvin Coolidge to not host a state dinner in his first year in office.[208] The first state visit the administration hosted was in April 2018 for French President Emmanuel Macron.[209]

Setbacks, 2017

The following setbacks to the MAGA agenda were often caused by Congress or officials in the Trump Administration, rather than President Trump himself. Some of them can also be considered partial achievements.

March and April, 2017—President Trump and the U.S. Senate approved Montenegro's accession into NATO, over Russia's objections, requiring the U.S. to defend yet another foreign power and undermining the constitutional provision that gives Congress the power to declare war.[210]

May 20–21, 2017—President Trump visited Saudi Arabia, the first country he visited abroad as U.S. President. He signed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, with another $350 billion of arms for the following 10 years.[211] American and Saudi businesses signed similar agreements on the same day, with billions of dollars to be invested in the U.S.[212] President Trump also gave a major speech[213] to leaders of 50 Islamic world leaders challenging them to fight Islamic terror. During the speech, he failed to make a single reference to Saudi Arabia's sponsoring of terrorism, instead opting to focus on Iran, whose sponsoring of terrorism is dwarfed by that of Saudi Arabia. [214]

Obama holdovers remained in key State Department positions well into Trump's presidency, and the administration and the U.S. Senate went at a slow pace at nominating and confirming officials to the department.[215]